Publications Type

The Lure of Chinese Loans

China was the leading provider of external finance to Sri Lanka for infrastructure development during 2010-2016 accounting for 37% of the total. Sri Lanka borrowed USD 5,895 million from China for infrastructure development during this period. More than half of these loans from China (53%) came through a special regulatory framework set up in 2010, enabling the government to entertain unsolicited proposals (USPs) for public funded infrastructure projects circumventing the normal competitive procurement process. This research paper analyses the design and the actual practice of this special regulatory framework. The analysis aims to assess the extent to which the design and the actual execution of the special framework facilitated the realisation of its intended objectives.

Gender-Responsive Budgeting: Evaluating Key Performance Indicators July 2022

This report highlights the failure of the Sri Lankan government in implementing gender responsive budgeting in Sri Lanka. The case of gender KPIs provides a detailed case study of how poor planning of government policies can lead to poor accountability among implementing agencies. The report highlights the importance of conducting good analysis, ensuring that well-defined frameworks and proper oversight mechanisms are in place before proceeding to implement budgetary policies.

Costs of Doing a Job for Urban Women in Sri Lanka

This study aims to address the knowledge gap on how ‘cost’ factors can affect the choice architecture for women entering or exiting the labour force by estimating the monetary and non-monetary costs of doing a job for urban women in Sri Lanka. Working-age women in the Western province that were categorized as either currently employed, previously employed, or never employed, were sampled through focus group discussions and a detailed survey questionnaire.

Hill Country Tamils: Analysis of Legal and Policy Issues Affecting Labour and Governance Structure

This report examines the socio-economic background and history of the Hill Country Tamil community (HCT) with a focus on health, education, labour and their primary engagement in the tea plantation industry. Thereafter, the report dives into the three main drivers of disadvantage that have paved the way to perpetuating the long-standing issues of discrimination and marginalisation in access to state services and major human rights guarantees faced by the HCT communities in this sector.

Patterns and Risks of Religious Violence Against Christians (October 2020 – October 2021)

Ethno-religious violence has persisted in post-war Sri Lanka irrespective of changes to the country’s political leadership. The current study unpacks the macro-level and micro-level patterns of religious violence against Christians. For this purpose, Verité Research analysed incidents of religious violence that were recorded by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka.

Public Report on the 2022 Budget: Assessment of the Fiscal, Financial and Economic Assumptions used in the Budget Estimates

This report provides an assessment and analysis of the fiscal, financial and economic assumptions and estimates applied in the formulation of the 2022 Budget.

CSO Sustainability Index 2020: Asia Region Report

The Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (CSOSI) assesses the sustainability of the CSO sector across several countries in different regions around the world. Since its inception in 1997, it has expanded and currently covers a total of 73 countries in 2020, including 24 in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, 32 in Sub-Saharan Africa; 8 in the Middle East and North Africa; and Mexico.

Charting a Path for Debt Sustainability in Sri Lanka

Since December 2018 Sri Lanka has been subject to three notches down in rating by S&P, Moody’s and Fitch Ratings. This situation is a historical first for Sri Lanka. While many of Sri Lanka’s key macroeconomic indicators have, in the past recorded more negative levels, Sri Lanka has never in the past, been evaluated as being at such a serious level of risk, in terms of defaulting on its debt.

CSO Sustainability Index 2020: Sri Lanka Country Report

The Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (CSOSI) assesses the sustainability of the CSO sector across several countries in different regions around the world.

Opportunities to Protect Public Interest in Public Infrastructure: A Review of Regulatory Frameworks in Sri Lanka.

Investment into infrastructure is vital for development. However, in the context of weak governance, public investment into large and complex infrastructure can become a fertile ground for corruption and results in unsustainable, costly, and poor-quality infrastructure that fails to meet the intended objectives.